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Louisiana has some of the most extensive wetlands in the United States, from broad coastal marshes that provide critical buffer against hurricanes to dark bottomland swamps along Gulf-bound rivers. Although no universal criteria exists for determining the “top” wetlands of the state, the following examples, all publicly accessible in some form, are featured based on a number of factors: large size, as in the Atchafalaya and Sabine wetlands; habitat importance for wildlife, like the White Lake Wetlands for whooping cranes or the Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge for nesting alligators; ecological uniqueness, as in the mangroves of Timbalier Bay; and relatively pristine character, as in Bogue Chitto. Additionally, the Upper Ouachita provides an important protected example of an inland riverine ecosystem, while Bayou Sauvage is a crucial wetland bastion -- and important interpretive area -- in the urban mosaic of New Orleans.

Ecological Context

The most widespread wetlands are along the coast, and they belong to two general geographic regions: the Deltaic Plain, occupied by the Mississippi River and its distributaries, which stretches from the Pearl River to Vermilion Bay; and the Chenier Plain, a marshy tract from Vermilion Bay to the Sabine River named for the parallel belts of old, oak-studded beach ridges, or cheniers lacing it. Wetlands exist well inland, however, as along river floodplains and any poorly drained areas. Louisiana's wetlands are generally in major decline due to rising sea levels, draining and development, a trend that threatens biodiversity and, because of the storm- and flood-buffering services of marshes and swamps, human settlements alike.

Atchafalaya River Swamp

The great Atchafalaya River basin -- likely the quicker, higher-gradient route to the Gulf the Mississippi River would like to adopt, were it not for major engineering efforts -- contains the country’s biggest river swamp, part of which is protected in the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge. Bottomland hardwood forests and cypress-tupelo swamps make up this vast, waterlogged wilderness, prowled by alligators, Louisiana black bears and other striking animals.

Atchafalaya Marshes

The Atchafalaya also includes large tracts of freshwater and brackish marshes, which support intricate, complex food webs, along its lower reaches and delta. Fine examples are on display at the Atchafalaya Delta State Wildlife Management Area (fws.gov/atchafalaya).

Bayou Teche

About 9,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and baldcypress-gum swamp constitute the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge in the Atchafalaya Basin near Franklin. It’s notable in specifically managing for one of the state’s rarest creatures, the Louisiana black bear, which is widespread in the refuge’s swampy woods.

Bayou Sauvage

Among New Orleans’ considerable charms is the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, which, at 24,000 acres, ranks as the country’s largest urban national wildlife refuge. Smack in the city limits, Bayou Sauvage showcases a variety of wetland habitats, including both freshwater and brackish marshes, as well as beach-ridge hardwoods and open water.

Bogue Chitto

Set in the Pearl River Basin, the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge boasts what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls one of the “least disturbed” southern bottomland hardwood forests in the United States. The 36,000 acres support seasonally flooded riverine swamps as well as oak and pine uplands, and they provide important habitat for rare creatures like the swallow-tailed kite and the Gulf sturgeon.

Timbalier Bay Mangroves

Florida has by far most of the country’s mangrove acreage; its mangrove swamps are some of the largest in the world. But scraggly black mangroves -- on the margin of their climatic tolerance -- exist along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. Near the southern end of Highway 1, visitors can get a good vantage of these unique shrub-trees along Timbalier Bay, where they provide good nesting sites for brown pelicans and other seabirds.

Sabine

At about 125,000 acres, the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/refuges) is the most extensive coastal-marsh reserve along the Gulf of Mexico. A critical habitat for waterfowl and a host of other creatures, the refuge sprawls between Sabine and Calcasieu lakes on the western edge of the Chenier Plain.

White Lake Wetlands

The 71,000-acre White Lake Wetlands Wildlife Conservation Area south of Gueydan belongs to the Mermantau River Basin, and includes extensive coastal marshes. Along with large rookeries for black-crowned night herons and other wading birds, the White Lake Wetlands are the site of an ongoing restoration of a non-migratory whooping crane flock. Whooping cranes, which nearly went extinct in the 20th century, are North America’s tallest bird. (See References 10.)

Rockefeller

The Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge in Cameron and Vermilion parishes covers some 76,000 acres of coastal marsh fronting the Gulf of Mexico, bounded inland by the Grand Chenier ridge. It’s an outstanding redoubt for many species: Its marshes harbor some 160,000 waterfowl in winter, as well as the greatest concentrations of nesting alligators in the country.

Upper Ouachita

The Ouachita River, which rises in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, flows southeastward across northeastern Louisiana to its mouth at the Red River. The 42,594-acre Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/upperouachita) in Union and Ouachita parishes includes extensive bottomland hardwood forests in addition to upland pine woods.

Visiting Louisiana's Wetlands

If you are planning a trip to Louisiana's wetlands and are not comfortable in striking out on your own, you can consult guides such as Wetland Tours (wetlandtours.com), whose mission is to "educate you about the plight and the importance of protecting and restoring these wetlands." The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (www.nps.gov) at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Thibodaux educates visitors about Acadian life in the wetlands through exhibits, artifacts, videos and films on clothing, home furnishings, religion and cuisine.

About the Author

Ethan Shaw is a writer and naturalist living in Oregon. He has written extensively on outdoor recreation, ecology and earth science for outlets such as Backpacker Magazine, the Bureau of Land Management and Atlas Obscura. Shaw holds a Bachelor of Science in wildlife ecology and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems from the University of Wisconsin.

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